Still
by LovelyTomorrow
Summary: After Mike Newton's graduation party, Edward helps an intoxicated Bella into bed. Takes place between Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.


"Do you still love me, Edward?" she sighed meekly, resting her head against the cold window.

He watched her as the dark road sped past, "Of course I do. Why would I have stopped?"

She sucked in a quiet breath and closed her eyes, "Oh, I don't know. Things change, don't they?"

"I suppose they do," he smiled. "But I promise you, my love is totally unchangeable."

She kept her eyes closed and giggled, "You're so…you talk so…proper. I love that you're all proper. Its very…nice…"

Edward chuckled, "I'm glad I amuse you."

"And you're so funny, too," she nodded. "Nobody knows that but me, right? That you're funny? Nobody seems to know it. Everyone's afraid of you." She shook her head, "But I'm not afraid of you. Not ever. Not even when I'm supposed to be."

"Yes, I know," he smirked watching her curl into a ball in the passenger seat of his car. "Are you tired, Bella?"

"Nope," she opened her eyes. "No, no. Not tired. A little dizzy, maybe. But not tired. I'm awake. Wanna talk? Let's talk."

"All right," he had never seen her so vulnerable. "What would you like to discuss? Did you have fun at the party?"

"I did!" she nodded happily, resting her head and closing her eyes once more, "It was so much fun! You should've been there. Everybody was there, and they really wanted you to be there. They yelled at me, because you weren't there."

"Who yelled at you?" his lips turned downward as the car came to a stop before the Cullen household.

"Everybody did," she nodded, watching him open her car door with kind, tired eyes. "But don't be mad at them. I'd want you around too."

"Thank you," he smiled and held his hand out to her, "Do you think you can walk inside?"

"Sure," she nodded, taking his hand and letting him pull her up, gently leaning against him as he closed the door behind her. "Edward?" she looked up at him after a few quiet steps.

"Yes, Bella?" he held her around the waist and walked slower than even humans normally did.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "Are you sure you still love me? You don't have to; I'll understand if you don't."

He smiled, "I'm absolutely positive, and you have no reason to apologize."

"But," she shook her head. "You thought I was special."

"You _are_ special," he insisted.

"No," she admitted meekly. "I'm really not. I'm—I'm just a girl, really. I know you think that I'm different, because you can't hear what I'm thinking, but really—I'm thinking exactly what everyone else is thinking. And I didn't tell you that, so you just assumed that I was different, but I'm not. I'm really not."

"Nonsense," he kissed the top of her head.

"Not nonsense, Edward," she sighed, sad, against him.

"Evening, Bella!" Alice could not help smiling as she held the front door open.

"Hi, Alice," Bella gave a slight smile, attempting to pick her head up, before Edward gently put it back down.

The entire clan had gathered in the foyer, eager to get a glimpse of intoxicated Isabella Swan. It was rare when they got to have this much fun without partaking in any illegal activity.

"None of you saw anything," Edward demanded instantly.

"Oh, come on!" Emmett began to protest as the rest of the family sighed and dispersed.

"Let's go upstairs, Bella," Edward said quietly.

"Okay," she nodded.

"Will you let me carry you?" he brought his arm up behind her shoulders.

"If you want," she shrugged and was lifted off her feet. Before she could tell they were moving, he was laying her down on his new bed.

"Goodnight, Alice," she heard him say.

"I'm her friend!" Alice protested in vain. "I want to help her."

"She doesn't need help," Edward insisted. "Goodnight." She heard the door close.

"Goodnight," Bella smiled against Edward's pillow.

"Are you tired now, Bella?" he sat by her waist.

"No," she said, closing her eyes. "I don't want to go to sleep."

"All right," he nodded, laying gently next to her and lacing his hand in hers. "Do you have more you'd like to discuss?"

She hummed in reply, and he waited for more. "I think…I thought you would stop loving me."

He laughed, brushing her hair behind her ear, "Silly girl."

"I got drunk, Edward," she said.

"Yes," he smiled.

"Are you _sure_ you still love me?"

"Yes," he laughed. "Do you really doubt me so much that a little alcohol would stop that?"

"But, I mean…It's stupid," she rolled into him and tucked her head against his shoulder. "Drinking…being all drunken and…it's _stupid_—stupid teenager stuff."

"Should I remind you of the second syllable of your age?" he smiled.

"I know," she sighed. "But…but I'm not supposed to do the stupid teenager stuff. I'm supposed to be all mature and together and…"

"You're still mature and together," he kissed her forehead. "Nothing is different, Bella. You're still you."

"But…"

"Shh, Bella," he kept his palm resting against the back of her head. "Don't worry about it; don't worry about anything. You went to a party and had a few drinks. Adults do that all the time."

"Legally," she grumbled.

He chuckled, "Well, if it's the law you're concerned with, I should let you know that just by being here you're aiding and abetting known murderers—a far more severe crime than underage drinking."

She was quiet for a few minutes, and he thought she was asleep. Gently, he pulled the bed's comforter around her, careful to bring it between their bodies. "Am I gonna throw up?" she whispered, her words muffled by his shoulder.

He smiled, "I don't think—"

"Nope," Alice peeked her head in, and then reclosed the door.

"The Fates say, 'No,'" he glared at the door.

She nodded and pulled him closer to her, "Good. That would be horrible."

"Go to sleep, Bella," he ran his hands through her hair.

"Okay," she said. "I just…can I ask you something?"

"I promise I still love you. Bella. I love you now just as much as I loved you this morning and just as much as I will love you every single day for the rest of eternity," he swore.

"Thank you. That's…that's very nice of you. Its…that's a nice thing to say, but," she pulled herself up to a sitting position. "That wasn't my question."

"Oh," he smiled and sat up as well, bringing the comforter around her shoulders. "I'm sorry; ask away."

"When you were a stupid teenager, did you drink like a stupid teenager?" she asked.

He thought for a moment. After all, he hadn't been a 'stupid teenager' in quite a long time. Back then; it was becoming more and more popular to be in support of Prohibition, which, once the war began, he was. He honestly could not remember if he had ever snuck a drink. He'd certainly never been drunk. It hadn't become the main form of youth entertainment until he'd been dead and gone for a few years.

Alice was still leaning against the door, listening to every word—just in case Bella did something that she could mock her about for eternity. Edward listened for a moment, trying to figure out how Bella would react if he told her the truth. Alice was seeing the next day.

---------------------

"_Morning, Bella."_

"_Hi…do you have to make that face? I'm mortified enough."_

"_Sorry…Just living vicariously. See, I don't remember being drunk, because of the mental institution and the being stalked by the sadistic vampire, so…"_

"_Jeez, not ashamed to use the guilt trip, are you?"_

"_Not at all. So, what's it like? Was everything all fuzzy and slow? Was your depth perception all off? Do you remember everything?"_

"_Ugh, sort of; yes, very; and no. Last thing I remember was Edward showing up at Mike's house…and everyone demanding that we participate in the couple's pong tournament. I assume there was more to the story, seeing as I'm here and not in the Newton's living room."_

--------------------

He smiled; glad that she wouldn't remember Jessica Stanley offering to be his partner if Bella 'wasn't up for it.' "Of course I did, Bella," he lied too easily. "I was the very stupidest of the stupid teenagers."

"Really?" she smiled.

"Really," he nodded. "You still love _me_?"

She giggled, "I don't know; I may have to reconsider."

He laughed and pulled her in for a kiss that was sloppy and utterly human. Smiling, he leaned his forehead against hers, "Well, why don't you sleep on it? Let me know your decision in the morning."

She laughed and lay down, cocooning herself in the comforter, "I think you already know what I'm gonna say."

"Not at all," he promised, sliding down and pulling her close to him. "I'm anxiously awaiting your answer."

"I couldn't stop loving you, Edward," she smiled, slurring his name.

"Still?" he smiled.

She closed her eyes and breathed him in—the scent immersed in the bedding and air surrounding her. "Still," she promised and felt the chill of his lips on her forehead before falling gently into sleep.


End file.
